North Road from Ribadesella
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288 km
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14 days / 13 nights
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The Way of St. James from Ribadesella to Vilalba is part of the fourth stage of the Northern Way starts in the beautiful coastal town of Ribadesella, at the foot of the Picos de Europa, by the Cantabrian Sea.
The trail takes pilgrims to quiet villages in rural Asturias, where they can sample delicious local food, before reaching the medieval city of Oviedo, capital of the region.
Asturias has an excellent cuisine and is also famous for its cider. Oviedo marks the beginning of the Primitive Way, the original way to Santiago de Compostela, the most popular route until the 10th century.
Ribadesella is a beautiful town bordering the sea that is well worth exploring.
Overnight: Ribadesella
The Camino continues uphill towards the village of Vega, at the foot of the impressive Mount Redondu. Arriving at the Las Vegas Beach, we cross the Regatu del Acebu and starting heading uphill towards the charming town of Berbes. Then the Camino goes downhill to the beach of El Arenal de Mons, from where you can see the mouth of the River Los Romeros.
After passing by the Templar and the Benedictine Monastery of Santiago (founded in the 11th century), we arrive at Colunga.
Length: 20 km
Overnight: Colunga
On today’s stage, you will be able to see the beautiful mountainous landscape along the northern coast. Along the way we will pass by the town of Miengo. Suances is a beautiful little town that is worth taking your time to explore. Our destination for today is the medieval village of Santillana del Mar. You will walk through lovely meadows and quiet villages along the day’s route.
The town of Santillana del Mar is one of the most popular in Cantabria, famous for its Altamira Caves.
Length: 17 km
Overnight: Villaviciosa
From Villaviciosa, we follow the Camino until we reach the village of La Casquita. From this point on we will stray away from the coast. We will have the opportunity to visit Oviedo, and also connect with the “Camino Primitivo” (the Primitive Way).
On this part of the Camino don’t forget to visit the Church of San Juan de Amandi (13th century), and the wonderful pre-Romanesque church known as El Conventin (9th century). We cross the river and continue along Valdedio Camoca to Alto de La Campa, enjoying magnificent views over the Sariego Valley.
Finally, we descend to Figares and we continue walking towards La Carcabada until we reach Pola de Siero.
Length: 29 km
Overnight: Gijon
On our way from Gijon to the city of Aviles we will be able to visit a prehistoric dolmen and enjoy great views along the way.
Length: 24 km
Overnight: Aviles
We will cross through small interesting towns along the route and spend the night in El Pito, where we can visit Renaissance gardens and beautiful palaces. A visit to the picturesque fishing village of Cudillero is also recommended.
Length: 28 km
Overnight: El Pito
We will cross beautiful stunning beaches and lush green areas before reaching Ballota.
Length: 25 km
Overnight: Ballota
We will make our way to Luarca, a traditional fishing village where enjoying fresh seafood and a nice glass of cider is highly recommended!
Length: 22 km
Overnight: Luarca
Once we arrive in Navia, we recommend visiting the market and its medieval walls, as well as taking full advantage of the exquisite local cuisine.
Length: 21 km
Overnight: Navia
Ribadeo is a typical Galician tourist destination and is famous for its Cathedral.
Length: 31 km
Overnight: Ribadeo
The rural area of Lourenza is famous for its beans. We will walk along rural trails, through small towns and villages.
Length: 27 km
Overnight: Lourenza
We recommend making a stop along the way to visit Mondonedo, the former capital of the Kingdom of Galicia.
Length: 24 km
Overnight: Abadín
We will continue our route through forests, farmland and green pastures until reaching the town of Vilalba.
Length: 20 km
Overnight: Vilalba
We will finish off the fourth section of the Camino del Norte in the historic commercial town of Vilalba. This region is famous for its milk and high-quality cheese production. We can also enjoy the local cuisine, and a visit to the Andrade Tower (now a Parador) is a must.
End of our services.
All the rooms you book with Santiago Ways to do the Camino de Santiago have a private bathroom and all the necessary services to ensure your best comfort.
Our team checks on site the quality of all the accommodation offered in order for pilgrims to have a comfortable and unforgettable experience on the Camino de Santiago.
When working with quality accommodation with limited capacity, the exact name of the accommodation will be provided 30 days before the start of the Camino.
All accommodation on the Camino de Santiago is subject to availability. In case we can’t offer any of them due to lack of capacity, we’ll accommodate you in one of equal or better quality.
Single rooms are subject to availability. Reservations must be made in advance and come at an additional cost.
All our accommodation has been selected to ensure tranquillity, rest and enjoyment during your Camino de Santiago:
Included Services
Accommodation in Hotels and Country Cottages.
Rooms with private bathroom.
Meal plan of your choice.
Baggage transfer between stages.
24 hours Telephone assistance on route.
Travel navigation app made for each traveler.
Complete route itinerary.
Assistance vehicle in case of emergency.
Information pack for the Camino de Santiago.
VAT.
Additional Services
Additional single room
Extra night in Vilalba
Transfer from Vilalba to Ribadesella
Travel assistance insurance
Cancellation insurance
In order to resolve pilgrims’ doubts, here we answer the questions that are most frequently asked when we receive your enquiries.
If you have any other questions, you can contact us and we will be happy to help you resolve all your queries.
The Camino de Santiago can be started on any day of the year, always taking into account the weather and the season in which you want to travel, so that your clothes are the right ones.
The best way to get to the starting point of your Camino de Santiago is to arrive at the airport, train station or bus station nearest to the town from where you will start walking.
Once you confirm your Camino, you will send us the arrival information for your flight, train or bus and, from there, we organize a private transfer to the town where you should start your Camino.
Yes, you can. All the routes on the Camino de Santiago are suitable for pilgrims to travel solo.
Also, whether you are travelling alone, or travelling accompanied but want to sleep in a single room, Santiago Ways offer this option to you.
We can book all your nights of accommodation in single rooms at an additional cost. We suggest you book well in advance since they are usually in high demand.
On the Camino de Santiago, you will find hundreds of pilgrims walking on their own. Many of them may have come to the Camino alone; others have probably moved away from their fellow travellers for a few hours because of the difference in speed when walking.
In any case, all the routes on the Camino are very well signposted, so you will have no problem if you go on your own.
Most routes on the Camino de Santiago are done in a self-guided mode. Thus, each traveller has the opportunity to advance on their own and at their own pace along the routes marked on the complete itinerary of the route, which is sent one month before starting the Camino.
The complete route itinerary of the route is a guide that we prepare for you with information about the maps, route profiles and places of interest, kilometre by kilometre on each of the stages that you will go through on the Camino de Santiago.
The travel distances and travel times indicated for each route on both the website and the itinerary we send you are based on reference values. It depends on each pilgrim exactly how they carry out these times and distances, according to the speed at which they progress.
You will receive it by email one month before starting your Camino along with all the documentation for the trip: accommodation reservations, baggage transfers, among others.
In Santiago Ways, we adapt each stage to the needs of our pilgrims, so that they can travel according to their physical capability and the number of days available.
On average, a stage of the Camino de Santiago has 15 to 20 km. On most routes, however, we can organize your Camino so that you walk fewer kilometres, dividing some stages into two parts, depending on what is most comfortable for you.
We would now like to talk about a section of the Camino del Norte: in particular, the one that leaves from the town of Ribadesella and culminates in Vilalba. It is one of the most beautiful routes that can be made and, at the same time, one of the most recommended by those who have already carried it out.
So, we will give you all the necessary information to complete it and so that you can plan your route. Discover everything that awaits you with Santiago Ways .
It is true that each person has their own reasons for doing any of the possible routes on the Camino de Santiago in general. However, each one of them has a special charm and a few reasons that make it better or worse than the others.
So then we’ll talk about what are the main reasons for completing the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella to Vilalba .
1.- Gastronomy: One of the most noteworthy points of the Camino del Norte ,and this particular section, is without a doubt the quality of its gastronomy. This point is discovering its importance along the way when, after all our effort, we will appreciate a good meal even more.
Thus, we must say that one of the main incentives with which this Camino del Norte from Ribadesella counts on is in the quality and quantity of its food. All the more reason to enjoy it.
2.-Infrastructure: It is true that some routes are better equipped in terms of infrastructure than others. The Camino del Norte is one of the best equipped in terms of infrastructure: it has good communications, good roads and, in general, everything a pilgrim needs to re-stock supplies and rest.
Therefore, also in this sense it is outstanding and is also indicated for those who make the Camino de Santiago for the first time.
3.-Environment: Another of the most important reasons to do this Camino del Norte from Ribadesella to Vilalba is the powerful influence of its environment.
In fact, we will be surrounded not only by the imposing beauty of the Cantabrian Sea but also by the beautiful hills and mountains that border it. We could say that the whole landscape of this route is shown as clearly unique and incomparable.
4.- Heritage: Another important reason to do the Camino de Santiago from Ribadesella to Vilalba is in its patrimonial richness. Since the Middle Ages, the area has been accumulating beautiful buildings, sanctuaries and towns that still today leave visitors with their mouths open.
You can’t miss beautiful locations like Colunga, Aviles or Ribadesella itself.
5.-Climate: Precisely to traverse the coast of the Cantabrian Sea, the temperatures on the Camino del Norte are mild throughout the year. This is one of the reasons why the pilgrims choose to flee from the most extreme temperatures that can occur in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula.
The route of the Camino de Santiago del Norte from Ribadesella to Vilalba is one of the longest itineraries of which are not in themselves a complete route. That is to say, being a stretch of the Camino del Norte, it is one of the longest that exists.
It runs along the Cantabrian and Asturian coasts with beautiful landscapes, cliffs and also some mountain areas. Indeed, the route is made in the lands of the Picos de Europa mountain range, one of the most impressive places in our country.
At the same time, you will have the incentive to go through villages with a wonderful appearance like Vilalba itself or the locality where it starts, Ribadesella. You will also be passing through Oviedo, the Asturian capital, where you can enjoy the best of its gastronomy.
We enclose the maps of the route of the Camino de Santiago from Ribadesella to Vilalba . With this, we intend to give you all the necessary information to undertake this route and make your planning easier.
Ribadesella – Colunga
Stage map from Ribadesella to Colunga
Colunga – Villaviciosa
Stage map from Colunga to Villaviciosa
Villaviciosa – Gijon
Stage map from Villaviciosa to Gijon
Gijon – Aviles
Stage map from Gijon to Aviles
Aviles – El Pito
Stage map from Aviles to El Pito
El Pito – Ballota
Stage map from El Pito to Ballota
Ballota – Luarca
Stage map from Ballota to Luarca
Luarca – Navia
Stage map from Luarca to Navia
Navia – Ribadeo
Stage map from Navia to Ribadeo
Ribadeo – Lourenza
Stage map from Ribadeo to Lourenza
Lourenza – Abadin
Stage map from Lourenza to Abadin
Abadin – Vilalba
Stage map from Abadin to Vilalba
We now talk about the profile of the Camino de Santiago from Ribadesella to Vilalba . In this section, you will be able to see graphically the average altitude of the whole route as well as its stages of greater difficulty. We hope that it will help you to get an idea of the great adventure that awaits you.
Ribadesella – Colunga
Stage profile from Ribadesella to Colunga
Colunga – Villaviciosa
Stage profile from Colunga to Villaviciosa
Villaviciosa – Gijon
Stage profile from Villaviciosa to Gijon
Gijon – Aviles
Stage profile from Gijon to Aviles
Aviles – El Pito
Stage profile from Aviles to El Pito
El Pito – Ballota
Stage profile from El Pito to Ballota
Ballota – Luarca
Stage profile from Ballota to Luarca
Luarca – Navia
Stage profile from Luarca to Navia
Navia – Ribadeo
Stage profile from Navia to Ribadeo
Ribadeo – Lourenza
Stage profile from Ribadeo to Lourenza
Lourenza – Abadin
Stage profile from Lourenza to Abadin
Abadin – Vilalba
Stage profile from Abadin to Vilalba
We detail below what are the stages on foot that take place with Santiago Ways. Each of them has an approximate length of 25 kilometres.
Stage from Ribadesella to Colunga
Stage from Colunga to Villaviciosa
Stage from Villaviciosa to Gijon
Stage from Gijon to Aviles
Stage from Aviles to El Pito
Stage from El Pito to Ballota
Stage from Ballota to Luarca
Stage from Luarca to Navia
Stage from Navia to Ribadeo
Stage from Ribadeo to Lourenza
Stage from Lourenza to Abadin
Stage from Abadin to Vilalba
As we have said, this section of the Camino de Santiago is one of the longest of all possible routes. In fact, it has a total of 285 kilometres divided in a total of 14 stages with its corresponding 13 nights.
That means that it takes more time to get over it than most stretches of other routes. It is another reason why it is worth doing.
In the background, it depends on the taste of each person choosing the season that suits you to do the Camino de Santiago in general. However, on each route there are some characteristics that can make it better for a time or season than another.
That is why we want to talk about the different seasons and their advantages and disadvantages when doing them on the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella.
In Spring, the temperature is mild although the risk of precipitation increases in the northern part of Spain where the climate is predominantly oceanic. However, one point in favour is that this season brings a splashing of colour that will delight the most nature lovers.
However, and because of its length, the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella has the disadvantage that it cannot be completed at Easter in most cases.
Still, with a little planning against the rain and looking forward to enjoying an incomparable environment, it is possible and advisable to do the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella at this time of year.
Summer is the most popular time for pilgrims because the temperatures in northern Spain are milder than in the rest of the country as a consequence of the influence of the Cantabrian Sea.
In addition to the cool weather, it also helps the fact that during this season we have more time than during the rest of the year. That has the disadvantage that the influx of pilgrims is greater.
This is not a problem, however, in the case of the Camino del Norte in general and in particular for the Camino de Santiago from Ribadesella: it does not have as many pilgrims as the Camino Frances, and when travelling with Santiago Ways we will not have problems when finding accommodation.
In autumn the risk of precipitation increases again, so we must also increase our planning. Temperatures are still mild and in fact it is possible that the months of September or October are the ideal ones to do the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella.
This is because the whole landscape is tinted with beautiful colours thanks to the deciduous vegetation that is throughout the environment. A natural spectacle that you should not miss for anything in the world.
So, the beginning of September or October can be a good time to go, taking advantage of the last heat of summer and the opportunity to see this autumn show.
Winter is without a doubt the season of the brave. Temperatures fall and in some cases can be a drawback in mountain areas like those that we will cross on the Camino del Norte desde Ribadesella.
Although it is possible to book with Santiago Ways throughout the year, we recommend that if it is the first time you do the Camino de Santiago choose another more benign season.
Otherwise, the influx of pilgrims falls and if you do not travel with us you should be cautious because most of the accommodations close during this season.
We have prepared a selection of places that you cannot miss during your pilgrimage on the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella . It includes some emblematic places for architectural, historical and cultural interest and also others of gastronomic interest: mainly a recommendation for the best restaurants on the route.
We also want to show you which hotels you will be staying with Santiago Ways.
This beautiful village located in the Province of Asturias is one of the most beautiful in our country. We recommend that you lose yourself on its streets enjoying its old quarter. Especially, we recommend the Plaza El Carbayu, with an exquisite taste and a certainly spectacular but simple appearance.
Luarca is another of the most beautiful towns in the Principality of Asturias. In addition to its wonderful fishing port with secular roots, we recommend you to visit the Fonte Baixa Gardens, a spectacular planted area decorated with exquisite taste.
This locality was once the capital of the so-called Kingdom of Galicia. For this reason, there are few cities in Spain that have a rich and intense history, which is reflected on its streets and monuments.
We recommend inside this area its cathedral and the Tovar Fortress, a typical construction from the Feudal Age that served to protect the domains of a noble family.
Here in Santiago Ways we want to take care of you as you would deserve. For this reason, with us, you will only stay in the best hotels along your pilgrimage along the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella. Here, we want to leave you some examples.
We also wanted to add some recommendations of places to eat throughout your entire pilgrimage along the route of the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella. This will allow you to taste and then enjoy one of the best gastronomies in the world on your route on the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella from Vilalba.
Restaurante Arbidel
This restaurant in the city of Ribadesella, our starting point, has a Michelin Star and will allow you to try exquisite dishes, traditional and with the best quality. In addition, to add charm, they are served in a dish with an exceptional decorative touch. Also, the excellent service will be a great incentive to start your Camino on the right footing.
Restaurante Auga
Located in the marina of the city of Gijon, this restaurant includes among its main dishes, some delicacies such as sea bass, suckling pig, and red mullet, among others. It also has on its menu vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. There are dishes for all tastes.
Restaurante As de Picas
The traditional Fabada (Bean stew) is the dish par excellence not only in Asturias but also of this restaurant so that we recommend visiting the centre of Gijon. If you ask for it, you will surely be able to delight in one of the best fabadas you will ever try. Also, beans with wild boar, among other delicious dishes, will make you want to return. Moreover, the good service from its staff is unmatched.
The origin of the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella shares its roots with the Camino del Norte . This route began in the Middle Ages and was the one that took many pilgrims who preferred to go along the coast to avoid the dangers of the war of the “Reconquista”. So, this route was the most popular until it was later advanced in the Christian domain.
It was then that the alternative of the Camino Frances was gaining importance. From that moment on, the Camino del Norte was abandoned until, in the 19th century, some romantics were encouraged to take it again.
Since then, it has become one of the most popular routes because of the beauty of its landscapes, good infrastructure and the great gastronomy on offer. Similarly, as we have said before, the heritage in terms of culture, history and art make it a favourite route for those who want to know more about Spanish culture.
We enclose the maps of the route of the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella to Vilalba . With this, we intend to give you all the necessary information to undertake this route and make your planning easier.
And since it is always very important to know the opinion of others to know what awaits us, here we leave the opinion of other users who have already completed the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella with us. It’s sure to help you decide and have an unforgettable experience.
So that you can get an idea of everything that awaits you we want to leave you finally with some pictures and videos of the Camino del Norte from Ribadesella to Vilalba.
Here you can see all the stages of the Camino de Santiago.
In Santiago Ways, we will advise you on which route of the Camino de Santiago is the best fit for you.
